Permanent Collection

Scholar Conjures “Mystical Magical” Holidays for Target

Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2025

ECD William Campbell leads the design and animation team at Scholar through Target’s massive, feel-good holiday campaign including over 30 spots spread across all screens from mobile, to in-store, to Times Square.

William Campbell: “Scholar’s largest holiday campaign to date began as a simple brief and quickly snowballed into a full-scale universe. One powered with heart, humor, and a healthy dose of wonder. Every gesture, sparkle, and burst of personality was designed to make these characters feel authentic, charming, and alive.

“This world demanded detail at every scale. We built stories big enough to look you in the eye, from the smallest phone screen to a forty-foot billboard.”

“Partnering early with Target gave us the chance to craft the world from the ground up. From scripts and concepting to look-development, animation, lighting, and rendering, every step allowed us to shape the magic of this winter wonderland.

“With so many stories to tell, our focus was on developing a visual language that fit seamlessly within the larger campaign and help push it forward. Bringing these characters to life meant treating them like real performers, shaping their quirks, refining their gestures, and letting their personalities lead the animation.

“This world demanded detail at every scale. We built stories big enough to look you in the eye, from the smallest phone screen to a forty-foot billboard. Every simulation from bouncing fur to drifting snow was crafted to respond with charm and character, adding texture and authenticity to every moment on screen.”

Making-of video

Images

Target "Mystical Magical" Holidays ad by Scholar | STASH MAGAZINE

Credits

Client: Target

Production: Scholar
ECD/Partner: William Campbell
CD: Cristina Barna, Liam Elias, Sean Martin
Managing Director/EP: Kirsten Noll
EP: Kate Aspell
Director of Production: Tyler Locke
Head of Production: Nicole Smarsh
CG Supervisor: Tim Hayward, Kevin Kolodinsky, Brice Linane, Ken Lee
Sr Producer: Michael Heil, Lusia Share
Producer: Paola Malo
Designers: Ana Chang, Jee Kim, Danna Macias, Logan Sprangers, Camille Perrin, Thomas Roisland
Model/Texture Artists: June Kim, Krista Albert, Rob Cavallo, Brian Luong, Jeremy Ramirez, Juan Salazar, Cameron Scott, Carlos Taborda, Alek Vacura
2D Animators: Matt Andrews
DMP: Liam Elias, Jee Kim, Kenny Kerut, Michael Cafarelli
3D Animators: Sarah Wolfe, Teri Shellen, Beavan Blocker, Michael Cawood, Richard Deforno, Mike DiNocco, Nick Dubois, Jared Eng, Madeline Jackson, Liana Krakirian, James Lane, Dave Lee, Jason Martinsen, Tom Shek, Rob Somers, Carolyn Vale
3D Generalists: Rob Cavallo, Adam Newman, Jeremy Ramirez, Cameron Scott, Carlos Taborda
3D Rigging: Ohad Bracha
Lighters: Rob Cavallo, Ken Lee, Cristina Kuong, Ziming Liu, Brian Luong, Adam Newman, Jamil Primas, Juan Salazar, Carlos Taborda, Andy Tai, Eric Xu
Dynamics/FX: Yates Holley, Eric Rosenthal, Andy Sheng, Jason Tjahyadi
Compositors: Rachel Moon, Kevin Njoo, Eric Almeras, Jeen Lee, Eddie Anton, Navid Bagherzadeh, Ian Blewitt, Cody Chen, Krystal Chinn, Ting-Jung Hsu, Fred Kim, Michael Loney, Phil Massimino, Jeric Pimentel,
Flame Artist: Rachel Moon, Kevin Njoo, Jameson DeSantis, Jeen Lee
Storyboards: Federico Etchegaray, Fred Fassberger